My first quail hatch

I started raising quail a year ago, come May. I got an egg incubator, and ordered fertile eggs from EBAY. There was no one locally selling live quail.

The Coturnix quail are my specialty, and are the quail champions of egg, and meat production. The hens lay year around. Each hen may lay 300 eggs per year (almost one egg every day), if the daylight is supplemented with artificial light, so that total light hours is 14 hours per day. When the days are short, and without extra light, you will still get eggs, but not as many. During the part of the year that we have long days, April thru October, no supplemental light is required. The hens may start laying at 8 weeks of age.

The fertile Coturix quail eggs hatch in about 17 days, and are best placed in an incubator, as the quail are not good at raising young. They tend to drop eggs wherever they are standing, and walk away.

The quail chicks are able to walk, eat, and drink shortly after hatching. The chicks need to be kept warm, with a lamp, and prefer about 95 degrees, the first few days, and over the period of several weeks, the temperature can be lowered, and lamp removed after three weeks. The chicks are considered adults at 8 weeks.

They have a phenomenal rate of growth, and reproduction, making them very efficient producers of eggs and meat.

The quail do best on game bird feed, as they require the high protein content, and balance of minerals that it contains.

If you are interested in meat production, the birds can be butchered when they are about 10 weeks old.

I have Coturnix and Bobwhite Quail at this time.

I understand that California, and Bobwhite quail are seasonal layers, laying clutches of eggs usually in the spring, following the year after they hatch. Sometimes these two breeds will also lay again for a period in the fall. The eggs from these two breeds take about 23 days to hatch. The young take much longer than the Coturnix to mature, and start laying eggs. They produce fewer eggs, but are beautiful creatures,

The calls of the California, Bobwhite, and Coturnix are distinct, and different, than the others.

Domesticated quail do not fare well if released, as they do not know how to fend for themselves. They become prey for cats, hawks, and other predators. Their survival skills have been diminished, and replaced by selective breeding for egg, and meat production. The exception is birds bred and raised by gamekeepers specifically for release in the wild. Domesticated birds are usually illegal to release, and local game laws should be consulted if release is being considered.

I made my own cages, feeders, and watering system for raising my birds.

I believe they are best raised in an all wire cage, as they stay clean, because the birds have a wire floor, and all the droppings fall through the wire, and can be shoveled away, and used to make compost to feed your garden. My cages are only 8 inches high, and this prevents the birds from breaking their necks, if the get startled, and fly straight up, and hit the top of the cage. My doors are mounted in the roof, which is more secure than doors that are in any other part of a cage. I have multiple doors, making for a short reach to collect a bird from within the cage.

The new, community-breeding cage has no partitions, is seven feet long, 20 inches wide, and eight inches high. There are four doors evenly spaced, in the top (roof) of the cage. The doors are hinged with J clips, and you lift the door upwards, and drop your bird in. The cage is wire construction, and is 1/2 inch wire mesh all the way around. The cage features an egg roll out tray, there is a three-inch wide tray, along the entire front edge of the cage, to receive, and hold for safekeeping, the eggs. The cage can be supported up off the ground, and on an incline, so when your birds lay an egg, it rolls out, into the egg tray. The floor is 1/2 wire mesh, and all the droppings fall straight through to the ground, the cage is self-cleaning, and the manure is shoveled away from the ground beneath the cage. The community-breeding cage is $90.00

The new, smaller, 20" X 36" cage is 8" high, with two roof mounted 6" safety doors, and no egg tray. Cage is constructed throughout with 1/2" hardware cloth, and is fastened to ½” tubing to raise cage off the ground, or floor by 1/2". The cage can be set on cinder blocks, or hung on wire from an overhead attachment. This cage is $50.00

I made feeders that have a slot in the top, that is narrow, and the birds cannot foul the feed or waste it like other feeders.

The new feeder is designed to minimize feed waste, because the birds can't walk in, or foul the food. The feeder is available in 24”, and 15” lengths. The feeder is $10.00 (your choice of 24”, or 15” feeder)

The watering system I made has a jug reservoir that is covered, the water runs through tubing to a valve that the bids peck, and each peck gives the bird a drop of always-clean water. I also sell my cages, feeders, and waterers.

The water server has a valve that the birds peck, and each peck produces a drop of water. The water lasts longer between fillings, and they have fresh water at all times, because the birds can't walk in, or foul the water. There is a reservoir that you fill with a hose, or whatever. The water server is $10.00

Due to insurance liability concerns, and my dogs, I cannot give tours of my yard. I can bring a cage filled with birds to the front porch, and show you several cages, feeders, and waterers that I have available.

I

Live Coturnix Quail are $8.00 each. Minimum order is 3 Coturnix Quail

I have live, sexed, female, and male Coturnix Quail available. The quail are currently laying eggs, and are living in outdoor cages. I have Coturnix Quail available in various colors, and white.

Live Bobwhite Quail are $30.00 per pair

I have fertile quail hatching eggs at $4.00 a dozen. These are a mix of Jumbo Brown, Tuxedo, Golden, and White Texas A & M Coturnix Quail.

I currently have fresh quail eggs available. Delicious and beautiful, when served as deviled eggs. These can be fried, hardboiled, pickled, or even used as a topping, or centerpiece. Pretty little spotted eggs that can also be used in decorations.